Barnes Parents' Noticeboard

Barnes Bake Off

Since November 2013 we have had three bake off events. The most recent, our February 2017 Art + Science = Wonder event, produced about 160 beautifully made and incredibly diverse cakes. A small representative group of the extraordinary creations are shown here.

The Christmas Biscuit Bake Off, was held in December 2014. Children and their parents produced some wonderful creations. Here is just a taste (excuse the pun) of the 200 separate entries:

What an extraordinary, overwhelmingly positive response we had to our first (and not last!) ever Barnes Bake Off. The number of cakes that were baked and the diversity in their design was simply astonishing. By 9.00 am on Monday 18th November 2013 eighty separate cakes stood proudly on display. Each one had been thoughtfully designed and crafted. A team of staff and parents spent a considerable time admiring and then judging them between 9.00 am and 11.00 am. Every single one was tasted, with just a sliver being sliced off so the overall design was not impaired. The judges considered three criteria:

taste appearance originality of design

A celebratory assembly was held mid morning. All the children who had baked a cake over the weekend stood up and were duly applauded. Every single child who took part in this event was a winner. Children even watched a film that three of the cake makers had created showing the process.

After the film finished we had some more fun by following the format of the show. The children who the parent and staff judges had decided to award runner-up or first place to were asked to step forward. Subsequently first and second place in each category were announced.

Following the assembly children were given the choice to take their cake home or leave it at school for a cake sale at the end of the day. They were informed that all money raised from the sale will be sent to our link school in Ruzusumiro, Rwanda. The special assembly ended as it had started, with the composer of the TV programme playing the theme tune, along with his son, our school choir and Karen warner on the flute.

Many thanks to all the children who took part and to their parents, for helping them. We would like to organise future special home cooking or food preparation events. It’s exciting just thinking of the wonderful ideas children and their parents will come up with.

Want to learn how to bake a cake like the ones above? Watch a wonderful film made by three of our children – it’s much more entertaining than the Great British Bake Off!

A little while later everyone baked bread. Look at these unique creations.